From his point of view the attribute of the goddess a snake was a form of an underworld spirit, which had domestic and a friendly significance. This interpretation of Wadjet can likely be tied in with her relation to Egypts pharaohs, and relate either to her unwavering ward, or the pharaohs role to protect and lead the realm. Excavation of the temple repositories, from Sir Arthur Evans. The crown and cat have no parallel in any image of a Bronze Age woman, so these should be discounted. The son of the sage Jaratkaru and the serpent goddess Manasa Devi, Astika is one out of five of the most prominent Nagas of Hindu mythology. Medusa - whose name probably comes from the Ancient Greek word for "guardian" - was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, and sisters of the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon. Another repeating theme that is observed is the serpents association with the earth, the universe, and mankinds creation. Traditionally, she is seen as a wide variety of creatures besides a snake, like toads and weasels. She would be shown wearing a double plumed headdress, or as having a solar disk around her. Two of these statuettes were extensively restored and identified by Evans as a "Mother Goddess" and a "Priestess." One of the most well-known snake gods in Hinduism is Lord Shiva, who is often depicted with a snake coiled around his neck. She was the protector deity of the city of Dep and also believed to be the protector of kings and of women in childbirth. There are no recorded instances of Medusa turning a woman to stone. She also prophesied the downfall of the Aztec Empire. According to Hesiod and Aeschylus, she lived and died on Sarpedon, somewhere near Cisthene. In Hammurabis Law Code (c. 1700 BC) the god Ninazu is identified as the patron of healing, and his son, Ningishzida, is depicted with a serpent and staff symbol (Bunn 1967:618), Snakes were a common feature of many creation myths, for example many people in California and Australia had myths about the Rainbow Snake, which was either Mother Earth herself giving birth to all animals or a water-god whose writhing created rivers, creeks and oceans. Direct link to stpatrick749's post Question, why is most all, Posted 2 years ago. Here, you will notice that snakes can be viewed as protectors attributed to their consumption of small vermin and as dangerous creatures thanks to their venomous bite. Since the snake is also symbol of the underworld deity, the Snake Goddess has some chthonic aspects as well. Jr, also called Fjrgyn and Hlodyn, was in Norse mythology seen as the goddess of nature and earth and often depicted as a beautiful woman with long hair and a gentle face. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone. The Gorgons of Greek myth were snake-women (a common hybrid) whose gaze would turn flesh into stone, the most famous of them being Medusa. Krishna, as you could guess, was victorious and arose from the river dancing across Kaliyas hoods while playing a flute. The Pomo people told of a woman who married a rattlesnake-prince and gave birth to four snake-children who freely moved between the two worlds of their parents. Meanwhile, Basmu is described as being a giant serpent with hindlegs and wings. In ancient Slavic paganism a deity by the name of Veles presided over the underworld. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death After all that happened to her, one could only hope the Medusas serpents were a chance at a second start for the former priestess. Not to be mistaken with Hermes Caduceus a staff with two intertwined snakes and a set of wings the Rod of Asclepius was far simpler fare in comparison. Gorgon Medusa. In northern Europe and West Asia, snakes were associated with healing whilst in parts of South Asia, snakes are regarded as possessing aphrodisiac qualities. In ancient Rome we can also observe the tradition of snake worship, as the name of Marsian goddess Angitia origins from the word "serpent", and she was the goddess of snake-charmers, snakes and witches. These three vicious female monsters are known as Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. Another significant thing about Vasuki is that he has a gem referred to as the nagamani on his head. Another symbol that is associated with Ningishzida is an image of the great serpent Basmu wound around a branch. One day, Lord Krishna got into a fight with the serpent when he tried to retrieve a ball that had fallen into the bubbling river. Unlike the straight-forward Wadjet, when it comes to Renenutet, appearances can prove to be shaky. Many images of elite Minoan women, perhaps priestesses, look very much like this figurine. These ritualistic objects were influenced by Mycenaean culture. The earliest records in existence indicate this snake god was closely tied to the rain and water god, Tlaloc, and that his original domain was vegetation. "The Laugh of the Medusa" is largely a call to arms, urging women to reclaim their identity through writing as she rejects the patriarchal society of Western culture. The Gorgon/Medusa image has been rapidly adopted by large numbers of feminists who recognize her as one face of our own rage. After digging out the entire western wing, he decided to check under the paving stones. Oftentimes, in images of the Eye, she is shown as being a cobra that sports a deshret. Hygieia's primary attribute was a large snake, which was one of her father's symbols as well. They are now on display at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. "In a hymn to the goddess Mertseger, a workman on the Necropolis of Thebes relates how the goddess came to him in the form of a snake to heal his illness (Bunn1967:617). Their genealogy is shared with other sisters, the Graeae, as in Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, which places both trios of sisters far off "on Kisthene's dreadful plain": Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged Etruscan, from Italy, 6th century BC. A story of victim blaming, one that she says sounds all too familiar in a current American context. The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena. Although a mere physician, popular belief would render him a son of Apollo and a mortal princess and, by divine right, a god. To conserve her energy, she dipped a rope in clay and flicked it so blobs of clay landed everywhere; each blob of clay became an individual human. [10], In most versions of the story, she was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry Perseus's mother. Evans found the sculpture of the Snake Goddess in a secondary exploration of the complex he called a palace at Knossos. [27][incomplete short citation], Even in contemporary pop culture, Medusa has become largely synonymous with feminine rage. Through many of her iterations, Medusa pushes back against a story that seeks to place the male, Perseus, at its center, blameless and heroic. In Greek mythology, the Gorgons were snake-women whose gazes would turn people to stone; they had serpents for hair, long claws, sharp teeth and scales covering their bodies. The cover featured the image of the Gorgon Medusa by Froggi Lupton, which the editors on the inside cover explained "can be a map to guide us through our terrors, through the depths of our anger into the sources of our power as women. By Sarah Crocker / Aug. 24, 2021 12:30 am EST. Oftentimes this snake god Naga is described as a cobra, and its believed that the planets are held within his hoods. In classical Greek art, the depiction of Medusa shifted from hideous beast to an attractive young woman, both aggressor and victim, a tragic figure in her death. "Only the Gorgon has the savage, threatening appearance to serve as an immediately recognized symbol of rage and a protector of women's secrets," wrote Wilk. All of Medusa's siblings were monsters by birth and, even though she was not, she had the misfortune of being turned . Foregoing the whole deadly Underworld serpent thing, Renenutet sounds like one hell of a mother-figure: She Who Rears is quite the fitting epithet after all. Omissions? In Nordic myth, evil was symbolized by the serpent (actually a dragon) Nidhogg (the 'Dread Biter') who coiled around one of the three roots of Yggdrasil the Tree of Life, and tried to choke or gnaw the life from it. Although no earlier version speaks of rape, ancient depictions of Medusa as a beautiful maiden instead of a horrid monster predate Ovid. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . The Aztec spirit of intelligence and the wind, Quetzalcoatl ("Plumed Serpent"). The snake goddess figurines excavated in the Minoan palace at Knossos may have been connected to Wadjet, as is the uraeus, the stylized upright cobra used as a symbol of sovereignty and divine . A small offering vessel of the Pre-Palace period, in the shape of a female figure with a snake coiled around her body from Koumasa, was discovered between some grave items. "And she's not deadly. [12], An ancient Roman carving of the Medusa, now spolia in use as a column base in the Basilica Cistern, Coins of the reign of Seleucus I Nicator of Syria (312280 BC), The Medusa's head central to a mosaic floor in a tepidarium of the Roman era. She is also celebrated in a variety of songs, dances, and dramas in the villages. Other depictions of the goddess has her wearing the Red Crown (also known as the deshret) of Lower Egypt, the land surrounding the Nile delta, thus establishing her as being one of the patron goddesses of the region. Updates? One of the most forgotten goddesses of the Celtic pantheon, Corra is the embodiment of life, death, fertility, and the earth itself. Snakes were also commonly associated with water especially myths about the primordial ocean being formed of a huge coiled snake as in Ahi/Vritra in early Indian myth and Jormungand in Nordic myth. The Horned Serpent appears in the mythologies of many Native Americans. The rape of Medusa in the temple of Athena: aspects of triangulation in the girl. Heracles (Hercules) is said to have obtained a lock of Medusas hair (which possessed the same powers as the head) from Athena and given it to Sterope, the daughter of Cepheus, as a protection for the town of Tegea against attack; when exposed to view, the lock was supposed to bring on a storm, which put the enemy to flight. "[31], Medusa has sometimes appeared as representing notions of scientific determinism and nihilism, especially in contrast with romantic idealism. She mainly worshipped for preventing snakebites, curing them, blessing the humans with fertility and prosperity. 2. What did the people use the snake goddess for? 3. [37][incomplete short citation]. The roots of this tree (usually growing in water) were guarded by Veles (Volos) the serpent god. Where they roamed, other animals awoke. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful. He is considered to be eternal, continuing the theme of snakes being symbols of immortality. Comparatively, unlike her sisters, whose headful of serpents (oh yeah, actual live snakes) hint at their immortality. Viewed frequently as a goddess of mercy and punishment, Meretseger watched over the dead and punished grave robbers. They are revered as beneficial deities, though they have proven themselves to be formidable foes throughout mankind in Hinduism. In classical antiquity, the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion. 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